An ASU Campus building on the corner a street in Washington D.C,

2 ASU experts join national summit to address AI disparities

Lori K. Baker

April 2, 2026

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence creates a new “AI divide” between developed and marginalized communities worldwide. Two Arizona State University thought leaders presented their innovative solutions at a recent U.S. State Department global summit on the role of AI and education.

First Lady Melania Trump initiated and convened the “Fostering the Future Together Global Summit,” a two-day education and technology summit in Washington D.C. The event brought together policymakers, private sector leaders and 45 first spouses from countries worldwide as governments increasingly look to artificial intelligence as both an economic driver and a strategic priority.

More than 2 billion people worldwide still lack access to the Internet, creating a significant barrier in low-income countries where infrastructure, affordability and digital literacy are ongoing challenges.

As a founding member of the N50 Project, ASU was the only university in the nation invited to participate in the summit. The N50 Project is a global nonprofit initiative focused on reducing “digital poverty” — the lack of access to technology, internet and digital skills that keeps billions of people from participating in the modern world.

Daniel Gutwein, senior business development director and marketing faculty for the ASU W. P. Carey School of Business, and founder of the N50 Project, and Dan Munnerley, co-founder and executive director of ASU Enterprise Technology’s Next Lab, played a key role in the summit. They presented a groundbreaking approach: AI that runs on low-powered devices, requires no internet connection and creates a secure, personalized environment anywhere in the world

“Many participants were shocked by what could be accomplished offline with low power and low cost,” Gutwein said, who was also invited to a special visit at the White House on March 25. “It really accelerated our agenda for governments and ministers of education to see this solution for schools and communities.”

The tech expo’s conversations and workshops gave ASU the opportunity to stand alongside OpenAI, xAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Meta, Alpha Schools and Zoom — and unveil innovations developed at the university:

Next Lab’s EDge AI is a transformative AI solution that expands access to educational resources for remote and underserved communities with limited internet and power infrastructure. The AI system can run offline on low-powered devices. Its privacy-centric approach to operate independently ensures user data remains secure and culturally sensitive information is respected.

Munnerley and the team also showcased their work alongside that of ASU SolarSPELL.

“We presented a great range of solutions, from a supercomputer in a box to a fully offline solar-powered digital library,” Munnerley said.

Advancing AI for all

Behind the scenes, students, faculty, communities and industry partners at ASU Next Lab collaborate to explore emerging technologies and develop projects that push the boundaries of what is possible through innovations such as EDge AI.

Meanwhile, the N50 Project brings together more than 250 companies, nonprofits, governments and universities to deliver complete digital services to underserved communities. Instead of simply donating devices or the internet, it tackles the full problem by combining technology, training, infrastructure and real-world use cases covering education, health care and jobs.

With innovative technology developed at ASU paired with the outreach of N50, closing the AI divide is now more possible than ever before.